Blacking and burnishing boots or shoes



(No Mode 1.)'

y A W. W. GROOKER. A BLGKINGWJ'AJISID BURNISH'ING BOOTS OR SHOES.

PatentedOot. 14,- 1890,.

LEV-5 INVENTU.

WVVNEEEES;

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.N

. WILLIAM W'. CROOKER; OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

BLACKING AND BURNISHING BOOTS OR SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 438/,470, dated October14, 1890.

Application iiled March l0, 1890. Serial No. 343,229. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM W. CRooKER, of Lynn, in the county of Essexand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Finishing Boot or Shoe Heel and Sole Edges, Shanks, and

Bottoms, of which the following is a specilication.

This invention relates to the operation of impart-ing a bright waxfinish to heel and sole edges, shanks, bottoms, and other parts of bootsor shoes which before the nishing operation are of the natural color ofthe leather.

The invention has for its object to provide an improved methodforrapidlyand uniformly waxing and polishing the surfaces of the partsabove specified and imparting a brilliant and desirable nish thereto.

To these ends the invention consists inthe improvements which I will nowproceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure l represents a side elevation of a rotary wheelwhich may be usedin carrying my improved method into practice. Fig. 2 represents asection on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a side view of areciprocating device which may be used as a substitute for the wheelshown in Figs. l and 2. Fig. 4 represents a section on line 4 4, Fig. 3.

The same letters of reference indicate theY same parts in all of thefigures.

In carrying out my invention I employ a facing or sheet d, of cloth orother yielding and flexible material, supported on an elastic bed b,which is interposed' between the cloth facing and a hollow chamber c,adapted to receive and be heated by steam, the arrangement being suchthat the heat of the steam is imparted through the elastic bed to thefacing a. Said` facing may be of any suitable cloth, cotton beingpreferred, or any other suitable material-such as ch am ois-ski n-andthe bed b may be of felt or any other suitable material which willconstitute ayielding or elastic support for the facing a and will permitsaid facing to conform to the curved surfaces of heel, shank, and soleedges and shank and sole bottoms, as well as to at surfaces-such as thetreads of heel top-lifts the object of the bed b being to permit thefacing a to bear at once and with a uniform pressure on all the area ofthe surface to be operated on that said facing is capable of covering.The steam-chamber@ and the bed and facing thereon are capable of beingrapidly moved, so that the facing can exert a suitable friction upon thesurface to be operated on, said surface being presented to the facing bythe operator, as hereinafter explained.

The steam-chamber is conveniently operated when made in the form of awheel, as shown in Figs. l and 2, the bed b being applied to theperiphery of the wheel, as shown in Fig. 2, and the facing a secured tothe wheel in such manner as to cover the bed. As here shown, thewheel-shaped chamber is provided with'stufling-boxes ee, which arelitted to rotate on a tubular journal cLthelatter having a suitableconnection at one end with a steamgenerator and being open at the otherend for the discharge of exhaust-steam, the arrangement being such thatsteam from the generator enters and circulates through the chamber c andthen passes out through the exhaust end of the journal d. I do not limitmyself to this construction, however, and may use any othersuitably-constructed rotary chamber or hollow wheel adapted to supportthe bed b and facing a and to be internally heated by steam.

In polishing or finishing aboot or shoe sole or heel edge or other likepart by the use of the heated yielding facing a, I irst colorwith ablack dye the surface to be operated upon, using, by preference, ananiline dye containing a solution of gum-arabic or other gum, whichgives the die sufficient body to lill the pores of the leather at thesurface thereof. The facing a being now heated by the admission of steamto the chamber c, the operator applies to the heated surface of saidfacing a suitably-hard wax adapted tobe melted by the heat of the facinga. When the wax is in a suitably-soft condition, the said facing israpidly moved by rotating the chamber a by power applied in any suitableway, and the surface to be polished and finished is IOO pressed againstthe facing and held there and suitably rocked or moved until all partsof said surface have been subjected to the action of the facing andreceived therefrom a coating of Wax.

It will be seen that by melting the wax and supporting it while meltedon a rapidly-moving heated yielding surface, which is adapted to conformto the curves and inequalities of the surface of the part of the boot orshoe to be treated, I am enabled to coat said surface much moreuniformly, evenly, and rapidly than by the use of a Wheel of soapstoneor other rigid material, such as has before been used in waxing bootorshoe heels. The close Contact of the yielding waxed facing with thesurface to be finished makes the Wax coating more brilliant and enablesthe operation to be performed with less outlay of muscular force than bythe use of a rigid Wheel.

The chamber c may be constructed to be reciprocated instead of beingrotated, in which case the facing ci and bed b will be on one side onlyof the chamber, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

The preliminary dyeing of the part to be finished insures the desiredcolor after the finishing operation.

Thus it will be seen that the method pursued in this invention is firstto blacken the surface by dyeing as opposed to blackening by means ofburnishing-ink, so called. In the dyeing process the subsequenttreatment is by melted wax and a rapidly-moved heated softpolishing-surface, While in the case of the burnishing-ink the polishingis by means of a hard heated surface.

In my process the polishing or iinishing is accomplish ed much moreeconomically, quickly, and with less labor than heretofore, and it ismuch more nearly perfect, even, and durable than by the old processes.

I claiml. The improvement inthe art of polishing and finishing sole andheel edges and other parts of boots or shoes, which consists in dyeingthe said parts or surfaces black and treating the said surfaces with waxor other resinous or Water-proof compound and polishing the same bycontact with a rapidlymoving yielding surface, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination of a movable chamber c, adapted to receive steam, ayielding bed b in contact With said chamber, and a iiexiblc facing a,supported by said bed, as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses, this 5th day of March, A. D.1890.

VILLIAM NV. CROOKER.

Witnesses:

C. F. BROWN, A. D. HARRISON.

